An autonomous vehicle designed for making local commerce deliveries was unveiled by Nuro. The vehicle is about the height of an SW but far narrower than a typical car. The electric car features four exterior compartments (暗格) — two on each side — to hold separate deliveries. Each compartment can be tailored to a specific use, such as cooking a pizza or refrigerating a package.
“We can use self-driving technology to deliver anything, anytime, anywhere for basically all local goods and services,” Nuro co-founder Dave Ferguson said. “Consumers used to be okay with two-week paid shipping. It became two-week free delivery, followed by one week, two days, and the same day. Now same-day delivery isn’t fast enough for some customers.”
Nuro isn’t alone in building robots for local commerce deliveries. Earlier this month, Toyota, a Japanese car company, unveiled a concept vehicle that could be used for package delivery. A handful of startups — including Starship Technologies, Marble and Dispatch — are testing small robots for deliveries on sidewalks.
Nuro’s vehicle will likely face legal hurdles. Fully autonomous vehicles without a test driver aren’t legal in California today, and many companies have shifted testing to states where regulators are more welcoming of autonomous vehicles, such as Arizona.
Nuro expects to face fewer challenges because it doesn’t carry passengers. Nuro’s narrow size may also be helpful when navigating streets and avoiding pedestrians. The vehicle isn’t equipped with any special features to communicate with pedestrians or other road users. Some companies have tested and patented solutions such as digital screens that signal the car’s next move. Ferguson said his team conducted studies and found that such techniques could confuse people. Nuro believes ifs better to make sure the car performs predictably, so that human drivers know what to expect from it.
“We feel by creating this new technology that’s going to enable this last mile delivery, we’re going to be creating new markets and doing things that previously weren’t possible,” Ferguson said. “This is not swapping out Jobs with robots. It’s creating new markets. There will definitely be new employment opportunities.”
1.What is the main characteristic of the Nuro’s self-driving vehicle?
A. It can cook delicious meals for customers.
B. It is a pioneer in the field of self-driving vehicles.
C. It is fur narrower and higher than other autonomous ones.
D. Its deliveries can be transported in the special compartment.
2.Which can best replace the underlined word “hurdles” in Paragraph 4?
A. Breakthrough. B. Dilemma.
C. Restriction. D. Protection.
3.Why is the Nuro’s vehicle not equipped with communicating features?
A. Its digital screens often break down.
B. People may be puzzled at the features.
C. The features have not been developed.
D. Its performance is usually hard to predict.
4.What can we infer about Ferguson’s opinion on this new technology?
A. Beneficial. B. Challenging.
C. Controversial. D. Ambiguous.
Fikiri Kiponda’s path from accountant to marine (海洋的) conservationist was sparked by a chance encounter. After securing his dream job, Kiponda decided he wanted more. He wasn’t quite sure what he was looking for until he ran across some turtle hatchlings.
He didn’t know it was turtle. Fortunately enough he got the right person to ask and he got motivated. That person was Nkindi, a staff member at the Watamu Conservation project who later invited him to volunteer on the project. He later left his accounting job and fully devoted himself into the world of sea turtles. Now，he runs and spends his time nursing critically endangered sea turtles back to health.
Sea turtles have been around for nearly 110 million years and are now considered highly endangered. Their preservation rests on activities of conservationists such as Kiponda as these turtles face numerous threats and signs of their extinction in the next 50 years.
Local fishermen traditionally catch them to supplement their own low catch rates and sell them for their oil. As changes are made to accommodate more hotels for tourists, there is less available beach land for turtle nesting.
Kiponda’s passion has now spread to his community, changing their attitude towards sea life preservation with his “by-catch release programme.”
Through this program, fishermen are now paid for returning turtles accidentally caught in their fishing nets. The healthy ones are tagged and released into the marine park while he takes care of sick and injured turtles back to health.
Before the launch of pioneering spirit like this, turtles caught by fishermen were used for their meat and their oil extracted (提炼) for its medicinal properties.
“Releasing the turtle back into the ocean is a very good feeling, like, you feel like you’ve done something concrete and I guess everybody would love to do that...so I guess it’s unique work.”
1.What was Fikiri Kiponda’s dream job according to the text?
A. An accountant.
B. A marine conservationist.
C. A guide to the Watamu Conservation Project.
D. An advocate for turtles.
2.What may be the main threat to the turtles?
A. The rising sea level. B. Being caught by tourists.
C. Overdevelopment in the tourism. D. The reduction in their nesting place.
3.Which of the following words can best describe Fikiri Kiponda?
A. Energetic but conservative. B. Enthusiastic and caring.
C. Arbitrary but considerate. D. Ambitious and knowledgeable.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. The man saving endangered sea turtles.
B. An unique job of protecting sea turtles.
C. A pioneer project protecting sea animals.
D. The current situation faced by sea turtles.
Gift buying for 11 to 14-year-olds can produce memories of that classic complainer. “This gift is too old.” “This gift is too young.” “This gift was popular, like, five minutes ago.” Don’t stress. Our fun gifts are sure to make you smile.
—Judy Sutton Taylor
Snowball Launcher
The kids on your list will be happy to drop their electronic devices and head outside during the next big snowstorm thanks to this gift that launches snowballs up to 70 feet. A practice target is included to ensure they’re ready for a hard battle. $16.97 at amazon.com
Nintendo Switch
Gamers went crazy for this mixed gaming system when it was released last spring, and it was in consistently short supply until now. The device allows users to play solo or with a friend, connect it to a TV to play on a big screen, unfold the stand for tabletop competitions, or use it for hand-held play. $299.99; links to licensed retailers at nintendo.com or amazon.com
Mertritte Animal Headphone
Tunes will no doubt sound sweeter to lovers of any music genre when they5re coming from these cute-as-can-be headphones designed by celebrity stylists Emily Current and Merritt Elliott. The gold finish adds some fun flare (闪光装置) that is sure to inspire copycats. $59 at pbteen.com
BBOP Balls
If there s a more entertaining way to settle sibling differences than having warring brothers and sisters bump into each other putting on mega-sized bubble armor (盔甲), we’d like to know about it. Chances are, even what may seem like the most catastrophic conflicts will end in belly laughs after a few rounds wearing these. $69.98 for a set of two at hearthsong.com or amazon.com.
1.What will be the best choice for a video game enthusiast?
A. Snowball Launcher. B. Nintendo Switch.
C. Mertritte Animal Headphone. D. BBOP Balls.
2.What can we learn from a BBOP Ball?
A. It is a device for belly dance.
B. It is the most expensive toy mentioned.
C. It is suitable to entertain brothers and sisters.
D. It may cause conflicts among brothers and sisters.
3.Who does the text specially appeal to?
A. Pupils and Teenagers. B. Music Lovers.
C. School Teachers. D. Gift Buyers.
假如你是刘明，中国传统节日春节快到了，你的美国朋友Jack来信表示对新春和对联很感兴趣，请你写一篇回信，邀请他参加对联展，要点如下：
1. 新春在门上贴红色对联是中国传统，表达对新的一年的美好祝愿；
2. 新春对联展从2月10号开始一直持续一周；
3. 活动包括对联欣赏，自创对联比赛，获奖者将免费获赠对联；
4. 邀请Jack来参加，体验中国传统文化。
注意：词数100左右；
参考词汇：新春对联：spring festival couplets；贴：paste
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌中间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处，每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加个漏字符号（），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
China is an ancient civilization with culture dated back more than 4,000 year. Basic elements for a modern world such as paper, gunpowder, or the magnetic compass originated in China.
Today, China is again at the forefront of the world, with Chinese goods reaching all parts of the world. The Chinese culture have also fascinated many people. In the Shaolin Monasteries or the Forbidden City of Beijing, China has its unique art and architecture that what draw thousands of visitors every year. The Chinese food is equal popular around the world and it is loved by many non-Chinese. In China, the food can be found in great varieties and was different region to region. So join we and experience all these.
dWolf Warrior IIis putting China in the global spotlight. It’s also the first film 1. (taste) success both in terms of box office（票房）earnings and promoting Chinese values.
Since its release on July 27, it 2. (earn) an unimaginable 4.5 billion yuan, setting a record for domestic movies at the box office. The film focuses on a rescue operation in Africa, 3. (lead) by former special forces soldier Leng Feng — played by Wu Jing helps Chinese workers and local Africans flee a war-torn（受到战争破坏的）and plague-ravaged（瘟疫肆虐的）country.
Wolf Warrior II links（联系）art to reality, and reminds people 4. the massive evacuation（撤离）of Chinese people from Libya when civil war 5. (break) out there in 2011, and from Yemen in 2015, as well as the challenges the Ebola virus created in West Africa from 2013 to 2016.
The film describes 6. the Chinese government aims to protect overseas Chinese citizens. Just 7. the message at the end of the film reads, “Citizens of People’s Republic of China, when you encounter danger in a foreign land, do not give up! Please remember, at your back 8. (stand) a strong motherland.”
Thanks to China’s increasing participation（参与）in global affairs, the president could 9. (consider) as a modern Chinese hero. “10. (hold) up a banner（信仰）of peace, friendship and responsibility, Wolf Warrior II should be seen as a brave effort to promote Chinese values around the world.
